US 97

Includes Trunk, Alternate, and Business Routes

US 97 (trunk)

Washington US 97, a continuation of Oregon US 97, starts on the Sam Hill
Memorial Bridge across the Columbia River between Biggs Junction, OR and
Maryhill, WA. From Maryhill, US 97 heads north to Goldendale, climbing up from
the Columbia. After bypassing Maryhill on a 2 lane expressway, US 97 continues
to climb to the top of Satus Pass, elevation 3107 feet, and descends along Satus
Creek into the Yakima Valley.

At the south end of Toppenish, US 97 intersects
with SR 22 and turns to the left. At Jct SR 22, US 97 turns left and becomes a 4
lane divided expressway via Wapato to Jct I-82/US 12 at Exit 37 in Union Gap.
From Satus Pass to Ahtanum Creek at the south end of Union Gap, US 97 passes thru
the Yakama Indian Reservation. From Exit 37, I-82/US 12/US 97 heads north to the
north end of Yakima. At Exit 31, US 12 leaves I-82/US 97 and heads west. US 97
continues north on westbound I-82 to Jct I-90 Exit 110 on the SE outskirts of
Ellensburg. From Exit 110, US 97 follows I-90 to Exit 106.

At Exit 106, US 97
leaves I-90 and heads north via Blewett Pass, elevation 4,102, to Jct US 2 near
Peshastin, where US 97 joins US 2. US 2/US 97 becomes a 4 lane divided expressway
and goes down the Wenatchee River Valley. At Cashmere, Business US 2/97 leaves
US 2/97 and heads south on Applets Way to the downtown area. On the other end of
town, the business route returns to US 2/97 at Cotlets Way. The expressway
continues to Olds Station on the north side of the mouth of the Wenatchee River
and the west side of the Columbia. US 2/US 97 interchanges with the south end of
Alt US 97 at Olds Sation. US 2/US 97 head east across the Columbia River. The
expressway ends and US 2/US 97 heads north along the east bank of the Columbia
to Orondo. At Orondo, US 2 leaves US 97 and heads east, climbing away from the
Columbia River. US 97 continues north to the vicinity of Beebe, crosses the
Columbia River to the Chelan Falls area, and heads north along the west side of
the Columbia. A few miles north of Chelan Falls, Alt US 97 intersects with US 97
and ends.

US 97 continues north to Pateros, curving to the east to Brewster, and
crosses the Okanogan near its mouth. The Okanogan River forms the west boundary
of the Colville Indian Reservation. East of the Okanogan, US 97 turns and heads
north towards Okanogan and Omak. On the SE side of Omak, SR 20 joins US 97. US
97/SR 20 bypass Okanogan and Omak to the east on a 2 lane expressway. From Jct
US 97/SR 20, Business US 97 heads west on SR 20 across the Okanogan River to SR
215 (Old 97). Between SR 155 and SR 215, US 97/SR 20 crosses the Okanogan River
and leaves the Colville Reservation. At the NE edge of Omak, SR 215 and Business
US 97/Business SR 20 terminate at Jct US 97/SR 20.
97/20 continues north for about 25 miles to Tonasket, where SR 20 leaves US 97
and heads east. US 97 continues north via Oroville to the Canadian Border,
becoming BC 97 as it crosses the border.

Washington US 97 is 321.62 miles long.

Alt US 97 Toppenish-Wapato-Union Gap

US 97 originally headed north from Toppenish to Buena. At Buena, US 97 joined
US 410. US 97/410 headed NW from Buena via Donald to Union Gap. In the mid
1950s SSH 3A, the more direct route from Toppenish via Wapato to Union Gap, was
numbered Alt US 97. By the mid 1960s, US 97 had been rerouted from Toppenish via
Wapato to Union Gap and the Alt US 97 designation was no longer used. Former US
97 from Toppenish to Buena became part of SR 22. Traffic from Buena to Union Gap
is now served by I-82/US 12.

Alt US 97 Wenatchee Area-Entiat-Chelan Area

Before 1987, US 97 went up the west side of the Columbia River from the
Wenatchee area via Entiat to the Chelan area. In 1987, US 97 was routed east via
US 2 across the Columbia River then north along US 2 to Orondo. From Orondo, the
US 97 designation replaced the SR 151 designation to the Chelan area. Former US
97 via Entiat was renumbered Alt US 97. Today, Alt US 97 is 39.95 miles long

Business US 2/97 Cashmere

Business US 2/97 leaves the mainline north of Downtown Cashmere and heads
south on Applets Way. At the intersection of Applets and Cotlets (hey, I'm not
making this up) the business route turns left and heads east on Cotlets (old US
2/97), returning to the mainline east of downtown.

Business US 97/Business SR 20 Okanogan Omak

Business US 97 starts at the south end of the Okanogan area and heads west on
SR 20 a short distance to Jct SR 215. Business US 97 leaves SR 20 and Business
SR 20 begins. Business 97/20 follows SR 215 (old US 97) through Downtown Okanogan
and Downtown Omak. NE of Downtown Omak, SR 215/Business US 97/Business SR 20
joins US 97/SR 20 and ends.